Eat in to help storm victims

Published 9:00 pm, Monday, December 3, 2012

Ellie von Wellsheim of Schenectady mixes salad dressing for the annual Dining for Dollars lasagna dinner, a fundraiser she started six years ago. (Michael Hochanadel)

Ellie von Wellsheim of Schenectady mixes salad dressing for the annual Dining for Dollars lasagna dinner, a fundraiser she started six years ago. (Michael Hochanadel)

Eat in to help storm victims

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SCHENECTADY — For a growing number of Capital Region residents, one night in December means wearing comfy pants and eating homemade lasagna without turning on the oven — or leaving home for that matter.

A contingent of 45 volunteers are busy preparing for the sixth annual Dining for Dollars fundraiser, which begins at 5 p.m. Dec. 11 at the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady, 1221 Wendell Ave. Vegetarian lasagna dinners will be available for pickup at the church and will also be delivered to hundreds of Schenectady and Saratoga residents. Place orders by Sunday online at http://www.fussonline.org.

Money raised at the dinner, which has become a staple of the holiday season for many, will be donated to residents struggling to recover from Tropical Storm Irene and hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.

"Katrina and Irene survivors will fall further from our thoughts this year, as many people have turned their concern to people dealing with Hurricane Sandy," said Ellie von Wellsheim, Dining for Dollars founder. "There are people everywhere that need help, and it's hard not to feel disaster fatigue from it all, but we too often forget victims who are still suffering from past catastrophes."

More Information

Dining for Dollars

The annual fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Deliveries will be made to ZIP codes 12301, 12302, 12303, 12304, 12305, 12306, 12308, 12309, 12325, 12148, and 12866 in Saratoga. Meals can also be picked up at the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady, 1221 Wendell Ave. Place your order at http://www.fussonline.org.

All materials and labor for the dinner — which includes vegetarian lasagna, garlic bread, green salad and a home-baked sweet — are donated. Last year, nearly 350 meals were delivered and $8,000 was raised. Organizers are hoping to increase that number to $10,000 this year.

Unlike most fundraisers, there is no set price for a meal. A preaddressed envelope will be included in each delivery, and people can donate whatever they can afford and mail it back.

Money raised will benefit storm survivors through the New Orleans Covenant House for runaway youth and the Slidell Elementary Schools' "At Risk" Program, both in Louisiana; the Schoharie Recovery volunteer program, a neighbor-to-neighbor effort to match volunteers to the needs of rebuilding homes and businesses in Schoharie, Gallupville, Central Bridge and Esperance; and a nonprofit working to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. A portion of the proceeds will also support the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady.

"People love this event because they don't have to worry about making dinner on a weeknight so close to Christmas when they're crazy busy," said von Wellsheim, a Schenectady resident who has made more than a dozen trips to New Orleans to volunteer. "Food just shows up at your door — you don't have to dress up and be nice — you can sit in front of your TV and enjoy it. Just leave the porch light on."